The URBAN Intergroup at the European Parliament is a cross-parties and cross-committees grouping with a horizontal approach to discuss urban related issues. We bring together over 89 MEPs representing most EU Member States, all the political groups at the European Parliament, and working in all the parliamentary committees. We work with 118 partners from local, regional, national and European level that represent the interests of Europe’s town and cities or work in the domain relevant for urban development.

Our main objectives are to:

monitor the legislative and non-legislative work of EP’s committees on urban related issues,

work on common EU strategies – to put urban needs on the agenda of EU policies,

be actively involved in the preparation of EU legislation,

constantly stay in contact with partners and practitioners and

inform about realisation of EU policies on the ground.

Our work focuses on a number of subjects linked to sustainable development of urban areas such as:

entivonment and energy efficiency,

urban transport,

housing,

social aspects (social exlusion, migration, ageing of the population),

services of general interest,

local public finances,

…

The URBAN Intergroup (previously “URBAN-Housing”) was set up and is working successfully since 2005 to ensure that urban related problems are reflected in European Parliament’s decisions.

Over 70% of Europe’s population live in urban areas. Towns and cities are increasingly seen as the engines driving national and regional economies; however, at the same time many problems of social or environmental nature lay in urban areas.

According to the subsidiarity principle, urban policy is not an EU competence. Nevertheless, about three quarters of the EU legislation is implemented at local and regional levels and has a direct impact on Europe’s towns and cities.